How Long Does It Take to Publish a Research Paper?

As a scholar or a professional writer, you work hard to conduct excellent research that will enhance a particular field of study. You develop what you consider to be an original hypothesis, support your findings with solid evidence, and employ the right research techniques. Remember, you seek to offer theoretical understanding and discuss your research’s theoretical and practical significance as you compose your findings. Then, you send your paper to a peer-reviewed publication for publishing.

Many scholars agree the publishing part is the most challenging. For instance, how long does it take to publish a research paper? How long does the publication process take? Please read this article comprehensively to answer these questions and learn more about publishing research papers.

How Long Does It Take to Publish a Research Paper?

Publishing a research paper takes about three months to four years. Remember, the publication of a research paper is quite a process. It calls for you as the author to complete several steps before submitting your manuscript to a journal. After submission, the publisher must undertake the manuscript through more stages before they can accept and publish it.

It is worth noting that before a research paper gets published, it undergoes the following stages, both from the author and the publisher.

1. Completion of Research. As the scholar, you conduct sufficient original research on the topic of interest.
2. Preparation of the Draft Manuscript. This stage involves composing the research paper, proofreading it, and editing it where necessary to ensure feasibility and correct any possible errors.
3. Submission of the Manuscript. Here, you submit your paper to a suitable publisher.
4. Reviewing of the Manuscript. After submission, your paper undergoes editorial screening for several editors to peer review the manuscript. Peer reviewing is usually one of the most time-consuming stages.
5. The decision to Accept or Reject it.
6. After the peer review process, the chief editor accepts the paper, returns it for revision, or rejects it. After rejection, authors must rework their manuscripts and resubmit them for fresh peer reviewing.
7. Publication of the Research Paper. The final stage involves publishing the research paper after acceptance.

Note that some research papers get accepted and published with the first submission. However, others get returned for revisions or rejected severally, and that lengthens the publication process significantly.

Also see: How long does it take to write a research paper 

How Long Does It Take to Write and Publish a Research Paper?

Writing and publishing a research paper takes up six months to several years. The total period depends on the scholar’s experience, the amount and complexity of data to be analyzed, the discipline of study, and the publisher.

Remember, conducting academic research and composing a research paper is pretty cumbersome and demands close attention to every little detail. A feasible research paper should have an introduction, a literature review, study methods employed, results and discussions, and citations and sources. Depending on the nature and complexity of the research paper and the speed of the academician, the writing process may take up to two weeks to several months.

On the other hand, if a manuscript is flawless or needs minimal revisions, the publishing process may take up as little as a month. However, if there are too many errors and the manuscript gets returned for revisions or rejected, the process takes longer, sometimes up to several years.

Other problems that may arise during the publishing process are the submission of large numbers of manuscripts, difficulties recruiting reviewers, or other demands from editors. Such challenges prolong the publishing process too.

How Can I Publish My Research Paper Fast?

Below is a list of tips to help you fasten the process of publishing your research paper.

• Start preparing your manuscript early enough.

Starting early gives you an easier time composing the manuscript in the right manner so that you can take care of even the tiniest details. You could start by composing the introduction and study methods sections while the details of your past research are still fresh in your mind.

• Look for pre-publication peer reviews.

Pre-publication peer reviews help you notice issues that your publisher’s peer reviewers might notice and object to your paper. You, therefore, get a chance to correct them before submission. You can get such feedback from professional editing firms, colleagues, or your professor.

• Pick the right publishing agency.

Select a publisher that best suits your research focus to improve your research paper’s chances of acceptance. You may contact several publishing agencies to estimate their enthusiasm for your manuscript before submitting it to decide on the most appropriate one.

• Stick to the publisher’s guidelines.

After picking a publisher, follow their rules to shun any uncalled-for delays. Therefore, recheck your cover letter, references, main text, and subsidiary guidelines that the journal may be calling for.

How Long Does the Publication Process Take?

The completion of the publication process may take anywhere from two months to three years. The process takes little time when a manuscript meets requirements. However, the process is prolonged when errors lead to accumulative rejections.

It is worth noting that publications are responsible for monitoring the peer review, publishing, and archiving of the research papers. Editors, reviewers, technical editors, production staff, and other internal employees must ensure that submissions adhere to strict scientific and moral reporting requirements.

An ideal publication process takes approximately two weeks for internal checks on new submissions, one month for peer review, one week for preliminary acceptance, and two weeks for formal acceptance and publishing. This totals up to slightly over two months.

Conclusion

After reading this article, are you better positioned to answer the question; how long does it take to publish a research paper? Similarly, have you gained more knowledge to help you publish your upcoming research paper faster? All the best with the process!